1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system for managing calls and, more particularly, to a system for managing calls for a telephone of a user using a computer of the user connected via a network to a service provider.
2. Background of the Invention
Conventionally, a single-line telephone, such as an ordinary residential telephone, does not have multiple-line telephone features, such as the ability to receive more than one call at a time, to hold a current call, or to transfer a current call. To obtain multiple-line telephone features, a user conventionally has two choices. First, the user purchases a multiple-line telephone, which may include purchasing associated telephone switching hardware and software. This option, however, is potentially very costly to the user. Second, the user purchases multiple-line telephone features from a local service provider. For example, Verizon of New York, N.Y. offers a service known as CENTREX, which provides several multiple-line features. With the CENTREX service, if a user wishes to access a multiple-line telephone feature from a single-line telephone, the user must press one of the asterisks-codes via the keypad of the telephone or perform a flash via the hook state. With this option, however, a user must memorize an asterisks-code for each subscribed-to multiple-line telephone feature. Further, the accessing of the asterisks-codes may be awkward for a user during a telephone call if the keypad for the telephone is located in the handset of the telephone because the user must remove the handset from the ear and mouth of the user to access the asterisks-codes via the keypad in the handset.